Browsing: Early Childhood
NIEER Report Identifies Best States for Free Public Preschool as Children Go Back to School NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – As young children across the country start to go back to school—whether they start school at all and the educational quality they can expect
Make Every Day Music Monday
Type: Post
Shannon Riley Ayers, Coy Bowles, Meghan Tavormina
Have you found yourself tapping your foot to music or maybe singing out loud to a song on the radio? Music can stir up specific memories, energize, calm, and even offer a sense of healing. Music brings movement to our bodies and emotions to our awar
In 2022 the World Needs to Take Care of its Children: It Starts with Each of Us
Type: Post
Joan Lombardi
At the end of last year, UNICEF released a new report, Preventing A Lost Decade: Urgent action to reverse the devastating impact of COVID- 19 on children and young people. While it is easy for reports released in December to get lost in the end of the
Being the Change
Type: Post
Melissa Dahlin
Nationwide, in states, professionally, and personally, 2017 has been a nonstop barrage of changes—leading both myself and other early learning colleagues to ask how we can be active agents shaping change rather than passive receivers enduring it. Liste
Don’t Just Nod—Do Something
Type: Post
by W. Steven Barnett
Policymakers often sidestep complicated or controversial issues by nodding– to indicate how much they would really like to be on your side–then sighing loudly and, finally, remarking that, indeed, “The devil is in the details.” Well, say hello to the “
Learning from Leading States: Building P-3 Systems
Type: Post
by David Jacobson
In western Oregon, a regional early learning hub supports 30 partnerships of elementary schools, neighboring family childcare providers and community-based preschools focused on professional learning and family engagement. In Lowell, MA, elementary sch
Lost in Translation: State PreK Must Meet Needs of Dual Language Learners
Type: Post
by GG Weisenfeld
As educators, we are continually striving to close the well-researched and identified achievement gaps, including those between children who speak a language other than English at home and children who speak only English. We know the earlier we start w
Being There: Absenteeism Undermines Pre-K Benefits
Type: Post
by Melissa Dahlin
The early childhood field is committed to increasing access to high quality early learning experiences. But the work doesn’t stop at enrollment –we need to ensure children are consistently attending in order to reap the benefits. Every day in high qua
Grading State Pre-K on the Curve: Is the Best Good Enough?
Type: Post
by Jim Squires
Each spring when NIEER releases The State of Preschool Yearbook there is a rush to compare one state to another. States ranking high in access, resources and quality are pleased while others are disappointed their preschool efforts fall short. This is
In Back-to-School Rush, Think of First-Time Students
Type: Post
by Valora Washington
It’s that time of year when parents are inundated with back-to-school reminders and instructions on everything from updating emergency contact lists to making sure they purchase binders with the correct width. Much of the activity around preparing for
Why the Source of Preschool Funding Matters
Type: Post
by Richard Kasmin
While research demonstrates the educational, economic, and social benefits of quality preschool, a portion of the public continues to see early learning as a social welfare program — babysitting for the poor — rather than education. From that perspec
In the Education Olympics Politicians Promise Much but Fail the First Hurdle
Type: Post
By W. Steven Barnett Ph.D.
As we celebrate Team USA’s success setting world records and earning medals at the 2016 summer Olympics, we cannot escape the fact America has fallen off a world class pace in education. The United States used to be a world leader in college graduation
Former President Bill Clinton praised Arkansas’ preschool programs during a speech this week at the Democratic National Convention, citing the HIPPY program by name, and recalling the pride of parents at preschool graduation ceremonies. HIPPY is a well
The Pre-K Home Companion is due to be released at the end of the month. The book is a nice addition to Kaufman, Kaufman, and Nelson’s Learning Together: The Law, Politics, Economics, Pedagogy, and Neuroscience of Early Childhood Education. The latter p
The 2015 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council’s (IOM & NRC) Transforming the Workforce report highlights the state’s role in creating a pathway for early care and education (ECE) teachers to acquire education and professional develop
The economist John Maynard Keynes famously wrote: “The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead.” Typically, this phrase is cited to support government intervention over waiting for the eventually self-correcti
A Fresh Look at the State of Preschool
Type: Post
The National Institute for Early Education Research will release its latest findings on the state of preschool on Thursday, May 12 in New York City. If this sounds like a new venue for the yearbook’s release, it is—and not without reason. Joining me an
Defining Quality in the Primary Grades Research and education organizations, state and federal agencies, politicians, and the media communicate prolifically about key elements of high-quality preschool. This information is shared with policy makers, pa
Review of Kaufman, Kaufman, and Nelson’s Learning Together: The Law, Politics, Economics, Pedagogy, and Neuroscience of Early Childhood Education
Type: Post
by Jessica Francis
The early years prior to formal primary schooling are characterized by a wide range of experiences for children. As a result, it is not surprising that there are strong opinions both for and against the schooling that is provided for children at this a
New Resources for Educators, Policy Makers and Families of Young DLLs
Type: Post
by Alexandra Figueras-Daniel
The challenges of educating young Hispanic DLLs is currently at the forefront of many conversations. Due to the sheer numbers of young DLLs aging into early care settings and kindergarten, the learning outcomes for preschool age DLLs has mounting impli